India's 2036 Olympic bid gets timeline: IOC reveals when the host will be finalised

NEW DELHI: India's bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games received greater clarity on Wednesday after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a revamped host selection process that will culminate with the announcement of the winning bid in mid-2029. At the IOC's 146th Session in Lausanne, members approved a proposal from Future Host Commission chair and former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic to introduce a new "Strategic Dialogue" phase into the selection process. The move is aimed at increasing transparency and providing greater clarity to nations vying to host the Games. "Potential hosts wanted greater clarity. All stakeholders wanted greater transparency," said Grabar-Kitarovic while outlining the changes. She added that the objective is to identify and elect the host of the 2036 Olympics by the middle of 2029. The decision is significant for India, which formally entered the race by submitting its Letter of Intent in 2024 and is currently engaged in the IOC's Continuous Dialogue phase. Ahmedabad remains the proposed host city for India's ambitious Olympic project. Financial guarantees, site visits and final evaluation Under the revised process, interested parties will first continue in the Continuous Dialogue phase before a shortlist is drawn up in March 2027. "Interested Parties will be short-listed for 'Strategic Dialogue' in March 2027 and will have to answer the Future Host Questionnaire and submit core financial guarantees before being considered for the final evaluation stage, known as Targeted Dialogue," the IOC stated. The Strategic Dialogue phase will require candidate nations to provide initial responses to the IOC questionnaire, demonstrate financial backing and satisfy requirements related to cost control, project delivery timelines and infrastructure planning. The Future Host Commission will also conduct site visits to evaluate proposed venues and host-city plans. "During this new transitional stage, they will be expected to provide an initial response to the Future Host Questionnaire and core financial guarantees," the IOC said. Following this phase, shortlisted candidates will advance to the Targeted Dialogue stage in 2028, which will effectively serve as the final stretch of the race. IOC to finalise 2036 Olympic host in mid-2029 "Preferred host will have to update their submission. They will also have to submit a full set of guarantees. The final decision on the host for the 2036 Games will be taken at the session in mid 2029," Grabar-Kitarovic stated. She further emphasised that prospective hosts would need to provide "a full set of guarantees, to give maximum legal and financial security." India faces strong competition from Qatar, while Turkey and South Africa are also expected to be among the contenders. At the conclusion of the Targeted Dialogue phase, the IOC Executive Board will identify preferred hosts and place them before the IOC Session for election. The Olympic host selection process was paused last year by IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who called for broader consultations with prospective hosts following feedback from IOC members.